I Am Well

I hope Santa was good to you over the Christmas break. I spent the holiday recovering from my bout with the flu. I am feeling very well today and just in time to go back to work (yea, can you feel my sarcasm). It is okay though, I have a couple of short weeks coming up and New Year's is this weekend. After spending last weekend in house, I will definitely be looking to have some fun.

Now that Christmas has come and gone, it is time to look toward the New Year. A time for renewing ideals and setting our resolutions in 2006. I want to ask you, what are your Poker New Year's Resolutions?

I will spend the next few posts leading up to the New Year discussing my own Poker Resolutions. In the mean time, I would very much like to hear from you.

My Christmas Holiday

As I sit here typing, I am struggling to find the energy to complete this post. I have come down with the flu, the grinch that stole my Christmas. I have spent the last few days in a slumber trying to recover. I was going to have four days off this Christmas, Friday through Monday, and hoping to have some fun playing poker. Now, I can't even spend time with family for fear of passing the flu on to them. So, I am going to spend Christmas Eve in quarantine of sorts.

Before I got sick, I did get a chance to play in a freeroll hosted by Primo and the SAPC. It was on Wednesday with a total of 5 people and the top 3 places getting paid cash. It was tough competition to start out. Everyone was playing a bit tight as we were 5 handed. Eventually, everyone opened up. I caught a run of good cards and busted all by one player to win the freeroll. It was fun to get out and play with some of the members of the SAPC. Once I get better, I hope to get out more and play in some of their games.

For now, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas...

A Few Interesting Hands

Primo and I hit the town on Friday night. We went to a NL Cash game that he suggested we play in. It was a 1-2 NL game with two tables running. There were about 16 players and we got in on the second table that just started. It was a pretty weak game and I mostly fooled around all night. Primo and I would take turns raking in pots. They were small ones, but they do add up and we weren't giving them back. We had some novice players at our table and it was fun making moves on them all night. There were a few memorable hands that I want to talk about and post here for your enjoyment.

The first hand was a prime example of a "cooler." I was in the cut off position to the right of the button. I got dealt K-K and made a raise of 3 1/2 times the big bet, a pretty standard raise. The button moves all in for his last $25. Now the action is around to Primo in the big blind and he calls. I hate being in pots with friends, but hate it more when I am in pots with friends and big hands. I immediately think to myself, not two big hands in the same pot. Everyone else folds to me and I easily call for $18 more. Now there are 3 of us and the pot is about $75. The flop comes A-Q-4 and Primo is first to act in the side pot. He moves all in for his last $78. Now, I pick up my cards and start laughing. I know exactly what Primo has, so I muck my cards. I tell the table that I threw away kings. Everyone is shocked that I mucked them, but just wait. Primo turns over pocket queens for middle set. Everyone tells me that it was a heck of a laydown. I think to myself not really. First off, an ace beats me and certainly so do pocket queens. He could have easily called with A-K, A-Q or maybe even A-J. Also, he tipped his hand when he moved all in into a dry side pot. All that aside, we are friends and he wasn't going to take my money which is why he made that move. It turns out that the other guy had pocket tens and was drawing pretty thin. Pocket kings, queens and tens all in one hand...a "cooler."

Now, the second hand was the bluff of the night. I was in the big blind with 3-6. The action had gone around with 2 limpers, one in middle position and the button. The small blind limps as well and I check with my mighty 3-6. The comes something like 10-4-5, giving me an open ended straight draw. The small blind checks and I fire out a $5 bet on a semi-bluff. The first limper folds, button calls and the small blind folds. There are two of us left with a $20 pot. The next card is no help to me and I check and the button checks as well. The river card is a blank and I miss my straight draw. I look at the button player and he doesn't look real happy with his two cards. Now, the only way for me to have a chance at the pot is with a bet. I throw out $10 which is about half the size of the pot. The button thinks and thinks about it. Finally, he picks up his two cards and reluctantly mucks them in the pile. He asks me if I hit my flush again and I tell him no. I turn my 3-6 over and he is visibly disgusted (he paired and had me crushed). That's how you win a pot with 6 high.

My Poker Year 2005

With the Holidays arriving, I felt I should take a look back at my poker year that was 2005...

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When I first started playing seriously, the only games that I played were shootouts with my buddies. We would get together, put up some money and have a night of cards. Don't get me wrong, those were some of the best times I had with my friends. Eventually, we decided that the only way to get better was to look for better games and tournaments.

New Year's 2005 - I sat at my first poker table and played in a 5 - 5 NL Cash game at Harrah's Lake Charles. That was my first experience in a live poker setting for big stakes. Also, I played in my first organized tournament (it was a qualifer for the WSOP). I enjoyed some moderate success at the cash game and none whatsover in the tournament. It was very new and frankly intimidating to me.

Since that weekend, we made several more trips back to Lake Charles at least once a month. Also, we would drive down to Eagle Pass, TX once in a while. We'd play in their weekend tournaments and cash games. Each time I would have some success, but then the very next time I would lose big time.

Summer 2005 - I went to the WSOP, with Primo and my other buddy, and experienced all the poker playing hysteria at the Main Event. On the side, we played at numerous casinos up and down the strip. We wanted to check out all the poker rooms and see them for ourselves. You can't imagine how much poker we played that weekend. Tournaments and Cash games too numerous to mention. Needless to say we didn't get very much sleep that weekend, but who sleeps when they go to Vegas...

In my opinon, Top 3 Poker Rooms in Vegas
1) Bellagio
2) Wynn
3) MGM Grand

...Up and down, up and down would be the theme of my poker sessions. I would either win some or lose it all completely on some miracle suck-out.

Finally, I decided that it was time to refine my game. I had to fine the right balance of aggression and patience. It takes a fine mix of both to be successful and I feel that lately I have been running very well. Patience was never my problem, it is the aggression part of the game. Taking down the pots when you don't have the big hands. If you can learn that part of the game, you will be way ahead of your competition.

Here we are December 2005, my game has completely transformed from where I started in January. I think I have become a better poker over the last year. I have had some ups and downs, but the most important part is that I learned from those experiences. I have really tried to identify the holes in my game and improve on them. What I did wrong or could improve? Also, I need to pick out what I do best and keep doing it. These are some of the questions I asked myself. My ongoing quest has lead to a tremendous thirst for knowledge. I read every poker book and magazine that I can get my hands on. Don't get me wrong books and magazines can help, but you need to put those ideas and theories into practice. Theory can only take you so far, it is the practical that takes you over the top. Log on to Party Poker and use bonus code "dvan47" to start practicing.

I can't wait for 2006 to come. I want to play in a major tournament next year. By major, I mean a WSOP or WPT event. A tournament where you can sit down and play real poker; not just have it be a crap shoot.

Enough of my rambling...I hope you can take time to sit down and reflect over your game. See where you are at right now. Work on what you need to improve and keep doing the things that you do best.

Happy Holidays to all...

New Commenting Feature

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

I have upgraded and added a new commenting program to my blog. Hopefully, this will make it easier to leave comments.

Dealing & Poker

This past weekend, I didn't play in a live game but I did play a little online. Last Saturday, I had a dealing job for this Casino Night. I didn't deal hold'em, but in fact dealt blackjack for the first time. I now have a healthy respect for those people who do it for a living. It is tough work standing there dealing cards and making sure payouts are correct. I didn't have a break in the 2 and half hours that I dealt, but I see why professional dealers have one every 20 or 30 minutes. It is a physical and mental drain to stand there for a long period of time. My two buddies dealt hold'em at the same event. They had a little easier time because they got to sit down. They told that most of the players were very new to the game. They had to correct them in the betting and folding patterns. All in all it was a good night, I made a few extra bucks on the side for dealing cards.

On Sunday, I played in a $10 online SNG while watching football. I love playing in the SNG's especially in the $10-20 range. You seem to have the right amount of novice players and over aggressive players to slide right into the money each time. I have cashed in the last five SnG's that I have played in.

Cash Game or Tournament

What do you prefer?...

Early on, I started playing tournaments and the cash game on the side. Whether it would be the home game tournament or going to a casino to play in their events. I did not have the experience of playing in the serious cash game. Sure, we would play in them at Harrah's Lake Charles, but only for that weekend. Other times, it would be a home game tournament or a shootout with our buddies. My early poker experiences were spent mostly playing tournaments and in a cash game very rarely.

Until recently, I had not had much success in cash games. I would approach the game in a different way, similiar to tournament style. I would sit back and wait for the big hand then put all my money in hoping for the best. I had great success winning the big hands, but the laws of probability would get back at me and I would lose some of the big hands. Winning and losing the big hands would balance out and I would have nothing to show for it.

I had to retool my game and change it in a way that would allow me to be successful or at least somewhat successful. I had to play a few more hands and win the pots that nobody wanted to rake in. Also, I could win small pots and still have a profit at the end of the night. A win is a win, whether it is a big $300 pot or four $75 pots. The small ones all equaled up to the $300 that I could have won in the big pot. Bottom line: Don't put your money at risk in a coin flip.

I am not saying that I am the best player in the world. Believe me, I am very, very far from it. What I have learned and experienced has helped change my game and adapt to be successful on a more regular basis. I still have the losing sessions, but I have more winning ones also and still come out ahead.

What do I prefer...Right now, I enjoy cash games alot more than I use too. However, I still play in the occasional tournament if the opportunity presents itself.

Again I ask, what do you prefer?...

...Leave me a comment.

Last Night

Went over to my buddy Primo's Place last night. Primo is the owner of the San Antonio Poker Club. He had a 1/2 NL Cash game going last night. We had 7 players and a our very own dealer (which makes the game run smooth). Also, he was kind enough to have food and beer for his players. I would highly recommend his game the next time you are looking for a good cash game. The limits are low, but there is still enough money on the table to come away a winner.

We play for about 5 and a half hours until mostly everyone left and the game finally broke for good. I played well last night and quadrupled what I bought in. Its always nice to leave with money in your pocket. There are a couple of hands that I will talk about, but will save them for a future post.

I am off to the Spurs game tonight. They are playing the 76ers and I hope they can play well and show why they are the champs.

Until next time...

A Night of Poker

It's Friday and time to go play some cards. I am looking to go play some poker tonight. Hopefully, I can rebound from the last couple of weeks where I didn't do so well. I feel that I am playing well, the cards aren't falling or the wrong cards are falling.

I have been playing limit for the last few weeks, so I am changing things up by playing no-limit tonight. It will be interesting to see how my play will differ or has changed over the last few weeks. In limit, you have to play your cards sometimes (most of the time) all the way to the river for a showdown. This forces your starting hands to be quality or else trouble is not that far off. In no-limit, I can end a hand on a particular street if I so desire. If the flop was dangerous and my hand is vulnerable, I will make every effort to end the hand right there. It may be a small pot, but a win is a win.

I said in an earlier post that I started reading Harrington Vol. 1. Well, I am about 50 pages into it. It is good so far, he has some interesting points about different hands and situations. He likes to draw on experiences and situations. Poker is a game of situations, what might work on hand will not work on other. He explains what he did or would have done in a particular hand. However, he explains that his way is not the only way and wants you to discuss and learn from it. Anyway that is just an early dose of the book, I have a lot more to go.

Until next time...